I don’t think they started today. Sounds like the schedule will be the same as it was before Spring Break/Finals. Tues/Thurs/Saturday practices, with Saturdays being open to the public at Reser if weather permits. Then the Spring game will be on the 18th.

I love the new full contact spring practices. We may see a slight increase in injuries, but I think the lack of real full blown practice in the past has led to an artificial decrease in depth, since nobody was improving skills at any position. The naturally talented guys might have been okay, but the guys who were marginal or project players really never developed well on either side of the ball and I think it’s pretty obvious that this was a contributing factor to slow starts.

It’s stuff like this that gives me hope for a bowl eligible season this year, even with the cupboard being left relatively bare.

Spring football starts tomorrow and I’m very excited to see what happens with OSU football during phase II of spring ball. There are a few categories that are often overlooked, but crucial to the success of Beaver football.

1) How will the players respond to having two weeks off of football? Were they disciplined in training while they were on break, at home? Did they read the playbook? Or … Did they party too much? Get in trouble? This was the ultimate test to see if they are buying into the Andersen system or not. Their true character will come out. Andersen and his staff will be able to tell, and he won’t put up with any bull, or lack of focus.

2) What will the trenches look like? How will the offensive line adapt to the speed of this new spread / up-tempo offense? An offense can only move as fast as their line.

3) Will the defensive line utilize of 4-3 defense, or a 3-4 defense? All of the attention this spring is on the skill players (QB especially and rightfully so), but the success of this team relies on both lines, and how successful they will become.

What I like about Andersen and staff is they get the most out of what they have. Even when at Utah State, Simon had the team “looking the part” against more prominent programs like Utah, BYU, and even Auburn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImT5UI8JMjY

My comment, though worded broadly, was mainly concerning their players’ strength and conditioning. In particular, they even got USU’s players looking rocked-up. Both Oregon teams have looked a little soft in recent years, relatively speaking, in my opinion. Emphasis on the “relative” (i.e. compared to other P5 teams, not to my doughy “physique”).

Meh. I feel like tOSU was just on another level last season. Take away the turnovers and Oregon would’ve only had seven points if I’m not mistaken. I mean, when was the last time a team has gifted Oregon four turnovers and still won by 22 points? tOSU was just a beastly team.

Just saying we should pump the breaks a bit. GA was a great hire but don’t start sculpting a statue quite yet. He inherited a very good team in Madison and to his credit he did not F things up. However, he did have a few clunkers and his handling of the QB situation in the offseason and the start of last season was strange.

I tend to agree with you. I’m still excited to see a new brand of ball, but need to see it actually before I get too much of a boner for GA. One thing I noticed when looking back at some of his past teams, is they often performed well early in games but gave up leads in the 2nd half. Look at Auburn. How did they lose that game? LA Tech also comes to mind, but they were also able to escape with the W that time. His teams showed a tendancy to have a killer instinct early, but get over confident in the 2nd half. Hope those are just isolated incidences.

Everyone points to that game. Ohio State killed everyone and had Urban Freakin’ Meyer.

Good teams with great coaches lose all the time. Sometimes they get blown out. Things happen.

Take the 1906 Cubs. The most wins of any team in history, with a 116-36 mark. They lose the WS to the White Sox (93 wins), the “hitless wonders” who had a .230 team batting average, and .198 in World Series play. How does this happen? It just does. By the way, the manager of that White Sox team? Futures OSU Beaver head coach Fielder Jones.

Take the 06-07 Beavs baseball team. They were not great regular season teams, yet got hot and destroyed at the right time. 1 game means nothing. 1 is not a sample size with any meaning.

TOSU was definitely a glaring hole in Andersen’s resume. But, I think Meyer was on a mission and the Buckeyes were just a freight train at the end of the year.

I have no delusions that Andersen is going to turn OS into a perennial playoff contender. I have just always wanted to root for a Beavers team that is hard-working, nearly always gives 100%, is well-prepared, and plays tough defense. If they get beat or blown out despite those attributes, then so be it. They’ll probably only ever have a raw talent advantage in maybe 1/4 of their games, anyways.

In my opinion, Andersen is the best possible fit for my said desires. I could certainly be wrong, though.

Since practices are closed and we don’t get to see what Coach Andersen is like in action, here’s a video during his time at Utah State. He’s definitely a players coach, and exactly what Oregon State needed!http://youtu.be/B8gh-VzNwms

you have to wonder what Lindsay thinks when she reads a column like Gina’s today where she talks about the pace of practice being so intense she can’t write notes fast enough. [So true: the last few years whenever I’d attend a Riley-led practice I’d get bored] And then there’s her comment about the more energetic staff demanding more accountability from players. Or the killer finale, the Beavs find football fun again. Total vindication of the AB critique.

kindof feel bad for the guy. Had the first coach who recruited him jump ship at Cincinatti after he committed, then the new regime didn’t want him. Then finds a spot on Riley’s squad where he could at least compete for a job, only to have Riley jump ship. Running out of time and opportunities now.

We could be looking at Branden Weeden part 2, a 28 year old college QB. I feel good for the guy…he got out. Smart. Those are the risks. What is stupid is the NCAA making players sit out a year. I realize why they do it, but they should penalize the team that takes the transfer by docking scholarships, rather than set a person’s life back.

Good stuff. GA defintely excells in the Q&A sessions with the media. I’m just not used to listening to an interview with the coach and actually learning something. He’s quick witted and can think on his feet, which gives me hope for him also being able to make in game adjustments on the fly, something we’re just not used to around here. Dare I say, he reminds me a little of Chip, but without the asshole attitude toward the media.

Clearly, there’s a lot of noise here, a lot depends on how much gets reported, etc…but I think it’s clear that we’re already going for tougher targets and hopefully we’ll start landing some of them. I really hope the days of flipping guys from Eastern Washington is over.

Jokes aside. I really appreciate the unapologetic and “can do” attitude that Coach Andersen has! I think we will see both recruiting and the product on the field improve. The biggest question I think that remains is… Can he beat the team down south, the team which shall not be named? So far he’s on the right track!

any twits on the forum? What I meant to say are any there Twitter aficionados who would like to welcome D. Bruce to Beaver Hoops? Dude might get nervous if he only gets three shout-outs from Beaver Nation….

I was pleased to hear the offensive line and Ryan Nall received props from Gary Andersen. It’s nice to know the coaches are recognizing Nall’s strength, size, athleticism, and versatility. The offensive line is building chemistry and working well together, while implementing a new offense. The players maintained their weight, although sluggish during the start of practice, they handled the pace well. Gary Andersen said in one publication “our kids are handling it well, the tempo of practice, the different style of practices,” Andersen said. “They’re handling (it), they’re staying up and they’re taking care of each other, so that’s a great thing to see.”
Exciting times while we watch all the growing pains involved with building a successful program. Respect the process is a motto the team is buying into, I suggest us fans also respect the process. Go Beavs!

This is a logical fallacy. Choosing one example to deduct all talent evaluation is wrong. It’s also a logical fallacy in that it assumes because he is #4 on the depth chart, he is the 4th worst QB. Keep in mind Lou Gehrig once backed up Wally Pipp. Get your mind in order, and stop succumbing to your teenage girl emotions.

He said a few things about relating Riley to Andersen. Similarities: they push, they have a vision, and you have to execute their gameplan. Differences: offense, weightlifting, and approach to players. Interesting.

we would move on but your mom won’t. She loves dick. Specially the Scotty! The Asian Sensation. He’s like a pro wrestler with that name. Only he’s wrestles your mom. His trademark move is the skull fuck

“We had an immediate opening that needed filled in 2017, and this achieves that for us,” Nebraska head coach Mike Riley said. “We’ll go anywhere and play anyone. Youngstown State is one of the premiere FCS teams in the country, and as McNeese State proved last year, there are no guarantees once you get two teams on the field. This will be a competitive series, and that’s what we want–to compete.”

And…
“This is something that we never had the chance to do at Oregon State,” Riley said. “With our facilities and lack of television exposure, nobody would come to Corvallis. This is an opportunity we gladly embrace.” Until the ex coach beats your ass. This could be awesome if Pelini wins.

Reported that Gomis will return next year. Smart move, if he has a good season, he could likely get some overseas opportunities. He mentioned the pickup games played against the new class. We all heard the recruits were beating the current players when they visited. I wonder how that game would go now with a year under Tinkle.